


Always the Bridesmaid

by IntrepidEscapist



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Dysfunctional Family, Light Angst, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-29
Updated: 2016-09-29
Packaged: 2018-08-18 12:49:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8162569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IntrepidEscapist/pseuds/IntrepidEscapist
Summary: Kalluto never got the attention they wanted; always a fixture in the background to be ignored.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this a while back and never posted it. I was thinking about the Zoldyck relationship chart showing that Kalluto envies Alluka.

They always said the middle child was the unhappiest.  The one who was ignored, or out of place, the unfavorite.  The youngest was supposed to be the baby, the one who was coddled, the one who would steal the hearts of the whole family.

To be fair no one really paid attention to Milluki and he was the second oldest, but Milluki preferred it that way

Kalluto didn’t. Everything went out of order in the Zoldyck sibling dynamic.

Killua was the middle child, and the favorite.  The heir. The one who would carry on the family name, the one brimming with untapped potential, the one who was never happy with all the attention everyone gave him.  He never wanted Illumi’s hugs, or Mother’s kisses, or the affectionate pats on the head from Father.  Even Grandpa would tell him he was doing a good job with assassin’s training sometimes.  Killua would roll his eyes and huff, then go off to play.

With Alluka.

Kalluto was Kikyo’s doll.  She would dress him up and coo.  Kimonos were tailored to fit his delicate frame and Kikyo would spent hours brushing and trimming his hair into a sharp, perfect bob.  The only way she would be satisfied was if he was the picture of pristine stillness, a mannequin to be put on display. Kalluto was a display of the Zoldyck genes in terms of beauty.  Not only could the family produce excellent assassins, but they made beautiful, obedient, doll-like children.

He would trail behind Kikyo at her request.  She would talk at him, not to him.  Kalluto wasn’t expected to respond, just to smile and nod and hum in agreement.  Sometimes,on a rare occasion, he was allowed a “Yes, Mother.”  He cherished the moments he could say that.  It felt like that was his moment to show his mother that he too was just as worthy of praise and adoration as Killua.

Sometimes when his mother went out to check on Illumi -he was in charge of watching Killua- Kalluto would see Killua playing with Alluka. Killua was always so happy to play with her. Alluka was only a year older than him, but Killua babied her in a way Kalluto never was. He would play along with her requests, give her kisses, give her hugs, give her anything she wanted from flowers to fingernails.

If they were training in the same room together Kalluto would make sure to do his absolute best.  He would put on a better performance for Killua than he did Kikyo. Unfortunately Killua was never happy when he trained, so he hardly paid attention to his own drills let alone his little brother.  If Kalluto was feeling brave he would muster up a:

“Hello, Killua-onii-chan.”

Killua would look over and nod before returning to whatever he was doing before.  
Whenever Killua saw Alluka he would let her jump into his arms and kiss her on the cheeks.  She couldn’t even use nen, let alone fight, but she would get all of Killua’s love.  By the time she was finished there was never any left for him.  Not even scraps.

Kalluto would’ve been fine with the scraps.

When Alluka was locked away in the basement for being dangerous, for being a monster, he thought that maybe Killua would spend some time with him.  Since Alluka wasn’t there Killua would direct some of that attention onto him.

But Killua had changed.  He was very obedient to Illumi now, and neither of them had time for Kalluto.  Sometimes Kalluto would go on missions with Illumi, he was able to go on missions earlier than even Killua because of his skill, but Illumi never showed him the same gentle look he reserved for Killua.  Sometimes, if Kalluto was lucky, he would get a “Good job,” or “Up your reaction time.”  He would cherish those words, but he wish that Killua would have told him instead.

The whole family vyed for Killua’s attention, but Killua only had eyes for Alluka.

Even when Killua left and Kalluto had joined the Phantom Troupe, Alluka was the priority.  Killua never wrote, or called, even though Kalluto had a separate phone number for troupe activities, one that couldn’t be tracked by their parents. When Kalluto found out that Killua had gone back home of his own volition, after spending so much time escaping, he was shocked.

When he could out that Killua promptly left with Alluka, who hadn’t seen the light of day in years, he was less shocked.  It made sense that Killua would go back for Alluka.  Illumi went a little crazy chasing after them both, and Illumi didn’t even like Alluka.  He didn’t even consider her a sibling.

No one would ever go after Kalluto.  It wasn’t an assumption, it was a fact that he’d come to terms with. He was always in the background, and things in the background were easily overlooked.


End file.
